BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[Hokieman]

Hello All, I am here to provide to the ones who are interested means and access to join Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance. I am not here to debate with you on current issues.

Sportsmen and sportswomen from across Virginia have banded together to form the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance. http://vahda.org We are rabbit, deer, coon, bear, fox, coyote, squirrel and bird hunting dog owners. We are Sportsmen that hunt with dogs but know that this is a fight for the survival of all hunting, as we know it! This Alliance seeks to get every Hunt Club and Hunting group to join us in the fight to save our Heritage of hunting with Dogs in Virgina by sending us their membership list and the largest donation possible. No donation is too small. This is a joining of groups NOT a replacement for any group or club. We will work together and be stronger!

Hunting with hounds has been targeted in Virginia. The DGIF has proposed to undertake a study with Virginia Tech. It is of up most importance that all hunting dog sportsman and sportswomen be made aware and ask to join Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance to restructure the DGIF Board. Join our fight and preserve your way of hunting for future generations.

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance has grown to be the largest outdoor sporting dog organization in Virginia! We still have a great deal to do. Our heritage and very culture are under attack. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has advanced the timetable for its hunting dog study. Focus groups that were to have met "after the first of the year" are already holding meetings! While they call us alarmist, while we fight to protect our heritage, they are working hard to destroy our tradition of hunting with hounds. Wardens are telling hunters every day that "they" are going to end hunting with dogs in Virginia within five years!

If you want to save your heritage: we need EVERYONE to do the following:

1. Call your two legislators and POLITELY ask them to support the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance's effort to change the selection of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Board of Directors. Tell them that you are counting on them to defend your right to hunt with dogs.

2. Get your hunt club to send us their mailing list with email addresses! Tell everyone you hunt with or know to go to our website http://vahda.org and JOIN NOW!

3. Send Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance a donation now and ask your club to send a donation to help with this fight.

We must get our fellow hunters to help now. Please don't wait for someone else to act. It will only take a few minutes for you to phone your General Assembly members. Even more helpful would be a personal visit to discuss your concerns face to face.

The future of Hound Hunting in Virginia is up to you!

Sincerely,

THE VIRGINIA HUNTING DOG ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Free Membership being offered to all Virginia Hunters who sign up online. go and join today http://vahda.org

Thanks For Your Support.

[No-Dogs 2009]

[Edit Name by moderator] (Hokieman) is a board member of the VHDA. He pushing on this and about 40 other different forums. He's trying to drum up support for their so called "tradition". Remember slavery at one point in time was tradition too. The state due to the excessive number of complaints has been forced to step in an effort to resolve the problems created by the dog hunters or dog chasers as many call them.

The VHDA is using the survey process as a ruse to drum up support by saying it's an anti-hunting movement and the board isn't pro-hunting or doing their job correctly. The survey is only being done to fix the problem the dog chasers continually create. Because of the fear that the state is finally stepping up and will probably make changes to their so called sport they want the VDGIF board changed to people that support their cause. Remember this board is the same board that gave them the rights they have, which they abused. Read below to see what they do with these rights.

In VA in the eastern half hunting deer with dogs is legal. The dogs are let loose and hunters surround the tract and shoot the deer when they try to escape. Hardly fair chase but it's legal here. The state in it's infinite wisdom also allow a hunter to go onto another's land without permission, even if it's posted, to retrieve their dogs - day or night. This is part of the problem. With land being divided up and large tracts being split the chase is going onto other non-dog hunters land. Their hunts are being disrupted by legal trespassers as well as the dogs themselves. Since a pack of dogs on a deer doesn't stop at the "No Trespassing" sign the chase can go on for miles or hours or even all day. Imagine you're on your own land and still hunting and a pack of dogs chase a deer round and round for your morning or evening hunt. Imagine a person or group of people come onto your land and walk the woods disrupting your hunt while they follow or claim to be looking for dogs. Imagine this happens every weekend and almost every other day on your own land. Then imagine all this is legal and you can't do a thing to stop it. Another favorite tactic is to send a group in "looking for dogs" in a man drive to chase deer off your land. Now if you live somewhere else and only lease or are not there 24/7 they'll come in and hunt your land for you. Using the dogs they can hunt another's land very easily and in a quick time will have run the deer out for them to shoot.

Other tactics they use. Say you own a piece of land and the dog chasers have rights to hunt adjoining land. Say you spent $$ and time to create food plots and only still hunt or do QDM. They go to the far side of your land and drop off packs of dogs to run across your land to the waiting hunters on their side. They just hunted your land without permission. And there is nothing you can do about it as it's 100% legal.

More issues. The law states that you cannot train on deer out of season. But you can train on foxes all year. No problem you just let your deer dogs train anytime you want and if the game warden comes you tell him they're chasing foxes. They're chasing deer but the law can't successfully prosecute the offender because it's based on what the owner says the dog is chasing, not what the dog is actually chasing. I've got e-mails from a warden stating that they are powerless to stop this activity unless the law is changed. One only complains one time to find out that it's pointless and impossible to stop. Since one realizes this after the first complaint the number of actual instances this happens is tremendous but the complaint numbers are low due to the fact you know it's a waste of time. I called and the game warden wouldn't even respond and said he can't get a conviction so he wouldn't come investigate. They know but can't stop it due the the way the law is written. VHDA is trying to use the numbers to justify that there isn't that many complaints. It's only low because people know there is no point of calling. I had every Saturday of my archery season disrupted by another's dogs running on the land I paid to hunt. I can tell you it's hard to hit running deer with a bow. It can be very frustrating to say the least to have this happen week after week. They also train in the spring during spring gobler as well.

Then there is the actual abuse to the dogs. I've personally seen a president of a dog club shoot a dog and kill it because it didn't run deer good enough. There are no limits to the time a dog can run free. Many are lost, injured and never return. They're run to death, given and overnight break and run hard the next day. This goes on for 8 weeks of dog chasing season. Some clubs steal others clubs dogs and run them till the season ends and then let them go fend for themselves. They have to mark the dogs with hair dye or bleach to try to stop this from happening. The dogs are a tool and when the tool breaks they get rid of it and get another. Dogs are cheap or free so why vet one when you can easily pick up more?

Also you can imagine the wound rate on shooting at deer being chased by dogs with buckshot. Rifles aren't a legal weapon for deer in many of the dog chasing counties so they use buckshot only. They'll claim it isn't so but scouting after dog season one finds enough dead deer to know different.

Hokieman and the others will tell you that yes these things happen but it's only a few or rogue hunters. That's not correct. I'm a lifelong resident of VA and have close to 40 years hunting in dog country. It's not so. I've been in 8 dog clubs and only 1 of those 8 didn't train out of season or break other game laws on a regular basis. It's very hard to find land to hunt and you almost have to be a member of a dog club to find land so I join and hunt the non-dog season and go other places during dog chasing season.

The state is finally looking at dog hunting for what it is and the dog chasers who have had had their way so long are scared. They're doing anything they can including attacking the very organization that gave them unlimited freedom to run wild 8 weeks a year. They're now mad at VDGIF but should be mad at themselves instead for abusing the rules as well as their less than sportsman like conduct. They're a black eye to all VA hunters and their ways need to be fixed. They're the most visible form of hunting and certainly are the least capable of representing hunting's image or what we want the public to view as deer hunting.


Now Hokieman can come on and tell you all this isn't so with his page after page of cut and paste articles by other dog chasers on how wonderful all this really is. If you buy that I've got some land you might like too.

[Hokieman]

No-Dogs 2009 wrote: [Edit name by moderator] (Hokieman) is a board member of the VHDA. He pushing on this and about 40 other different forums. He's trying to drum up support for their so called "tradition". Remember slavery at one point in time was tradition too. The state due to the excessive number of complaints has been forced to step in an effort to resolve the problems created by the dog hunters or dog chasers as many call them.

The VHDA is using the survey process as a ruse to drum up support by saying it's an anti-hunting movement and the board isn't pro-hunting or doing their job correctly. The survey is only being done to fix the problem the dog chasers continually create. Because of the fear that the state is finally stepping up and will probably make changes to their so called sport they want the VDGIF board changed to people that support their cause. Remember this board is the same board that gave them the rights they have, which they abused. Read below to see what they do with these rights.

In VA in the eastern half hunting deer with dogs is legal. The dogs are let loose and hunters surround the tract and shoot the deer when they try to escape. Hardly fair chase but it's legal here. The state in it's infinite wisdom also allow a hunter to go onto another's land without permission, even if it's posted, to retrieve their dogs - day or night. This is part of the problem. With land being divided up and large tracts being split the chase is going onto other non-dog hunters land. Their hunts are being disrupted by legal trespassers as well as the dogs themselves. Since a pack of dogs on a deer doesn't stop at the "No Trespassing" sign the chase can go on for miles or hours or even all day. Imagine you're on your own land and still hunting and a pack of dogs chase a deer round and round for your morning or evening hunt. Imagine a person or group of people come onto your land and walk the woods disrupting your hunt while they follow or claim to be looking for dogs. Imagine this happens every weekend and almost every other day on your own land. Then imagine all this is legal and you can't do a thing to stop it. Another favorite tactic is to send a group in "looking for dogs" in a man drive to chase deer off your land. Now if you live somewhere else and only lease or are not there 24/7 they'll come in and hunt your land for you. Using the dogs they can hunt another's land very easily and in a quick time will have run the deer out for them to shoot.

Other tactics they use. Say you own a piece of land and the dog chasers have rights to hunt adjoining land. Say you spent $$ and time to create food plots and only still hunt or do QDM. They go to the far side of your land and drop off packs of dogs to run across your land to the waiting hunters on their side. They just hunted your land without permission. And there is nothing you can do about it as it's 100% legal.

More issues. The law states that you cannot train on deer out of season. But you can train on foxes all year. No problem you just let your deer dogs train anytime you want and if the game warden comes you tell him they're chasing foxes. They're chasing deer but the law can't successfully prosecute the offender because it's based on what the owner says the dog is chasing, not what the dog is actually chasing. I've got e-mails from a warden stating that they are powerless to stop this activity unless the law is changed. One only complains one time to find out that it's pointless and impossible to stop. Since one realizes this after the first complaint the number of actual instances this happens is tremendous but the complaint numbers are low due to the fact you know it's a waste of time. I called and the game warden wouldn't even respond and said he can't get a conviction so he wouldn't come investigate. They know but can't stop it due the the way the law is written. VHDA is trying to use the numbers to justify that there isn't that many complaints. It's only low because people know there is no point of calling. I had every Saturday of my archery season disrupted by another's dogs running on the land I paid to hunt. I can tell you it's hard to hit running deer with a bow. It can be very frustrating to say the least to have this happen week after week. They also train in the spring during spring gobler as well.

Then there is the actual abuse to the dogs. I've personally seen a president of a dog club shoot a dog and kill it because it didn't run deer good enough. There are no limits to the time a dog can run free. Many are lost, injured and never return. They're run to death, given and overnight break and run hard the next day. This goes on for 8 weeks of dog chasing season. Some clubs steal others clubs dogs and run them till the season ends and then let them go fend for themselves. They have to mark the dogs with hair dye or bleach to try to stop this from happening. The dogs are a tool and when the tool breaks they get rid of it and get another. Dogs are cheap or free so why vet one when you can easily pick up more?

Also you can imagine the wound rate on shooting at deer being chased by dogs with buckshot. Rifles aren't a legal weapon for deer in many of the dog chasing counties so they use buckshot only. They'll claim it isn't so but scouting after dog season one finds enough dead deer to know different.

Hokieman and the others will tell you that yes these things happen but it's only a few or rogue hunters. That's not correct. I'm a lifelong resident of VA and have close to 40 years hunting in dog country. It's not so. I've been in 8 dog clubs and only 1 of those 8 didn't train out of season or break other game laws on a regular basis. It's very hard to find land to hunt and you almost have to be a member of a dog club to find land so I join and hunt the non-dog season and go other places during dog chasing season.

The state is finally looking at dog hunting for what it is and the dog chasers who have had had their way so long are scared. They're doing anything they can including attacking the very organization that gave them unlimited freedom to run wild 8 weeks a year. They're now mad at VDGIF but should be mad at themselves instead for abusing the rules as well as their less than sportsman like conduct. They're a black eye to all VA hunters and their ways need to be fixed. They're the most visible form of hunting and certainly are the least capable of representing hunting's image or what we want the public to view as deer hunting.


Now Hokieman can come on and tell you all this isn't so with his page after page of cut and paste articles by other dog chasers on how wonderful all this really is. If you buy that I've got some land you might like too.

Yo Rick ::neener: On another note like us or not I don't care. Virginia hunting dog alliance is real and were here to stay and we are a political action group fighting for the rights of all hunting dog sportsman and if that upsets you get over it because were growing everyday, we have over 15,000 members and represent over 270 clubs with more joinging by internet everyday. Your voice will be heard with us.

[JTapia]

Welcome to BGH No-Dogs 2009.

I think you'll find lots of support for your views and, conversely, lots of opposition.

I, myself, mostly agree with all your points.
I was raised hunting with dogs, even owned half dozen myself but gave it up about 20 years ago cause land was becoming unavailable due to urban sprawl, dogs were expensive to buy, raise and keep. We,(everyone in our hunting party) owned all the land we hunted and the surrounding land as well so our dogs trespassing on another's property just wasn't a possibility.

The statement you made that I most disagree with was the "fair chase" statement. Anyone who believes that hunting deer with dogs is not "fair chase" has never hunted with dogs and/or knows little about deer habits. You cant just drive into the woods and turn the dogs a-loose and sit and wait for a deer to come running by. Deer being chased by dogs behave no differently than deer being hunted by humans.
The statement you made that I secondly most disagree with is that deer dogs are cheap or free.....don't know where you got that info from cause deer dogs are VERY expensive to buy, raise and keep and require 1000's of hours to train. If you already have one or some pups then you have a valuable asset and treating your dogs recklessly is not in your best interest. That guy you saw shoot his dog should have gotten a quick jab in his eye, quickly followed my a complete butt whuppin, that is completely unacceptable.
Deer dogs don't trespass onto anothers property, they are allowed to cross the line. Deer dogs are bred and trained for hunting deer and will give up the race when told to, those that wont are owned by someone who lacks training skills or allows them to chase onto anothers property, with either being irresponsible and should be punishable by law.
Before anyone who disagrees with my above statements gets on here and blasts me I challenge them to go to their local Animal Shelter and pick themselves out a dog or two, drive them out to some legal hunting land, find a nice block of woods and turn the dog/s loose then race to the other side and sit back and wait on those silly deer to just run out so you can shoot them. I think you'll change your mind about the "fair chase" issue after many, many days without any luck and maybe cut me a little slack !!! :=;

[Hokieman]

Richmond Times Dispatch Wed. morning edition.

More than 200 people turned out last night to urge the Charles City County Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution in support of hunting with dogs.

The board voted 3-0 in favor of adopting the proposed resolution.

"I do support the resolution," Supervisor Gilbert A. Smith said. "I'm an avid deer hunter."

Jimmy Fitzgerald, one of the county residents who sought the resolution, said the request was made because of concerns that some newcomers to rural areas want to ban the use of hunting dogs.


ALSO IN THE NEWS

Many reply to bobwhite's calls for help

Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 09:41 AM

By ANDY THOMPSON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
The bobwhite quail may be experiencing tough times in the state of Virginia, but the game bird certainly has some high-powered friends.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the board of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, those friends made a spirited pitch to take action against habitat loss and other factors threatening Colinus virginianus.

"For years I have been concerned, as have so many people, with the decreasing population of bobwhite quail," said former governor Linwood Holton. "I've mentioned it to several directors. This is the first time, though, that we've been able to get an organized effort, sponsored by the commission, to really take some active participation in restoring the population of this popular bird."

Holton was referring to the Quail Focus Group that the DGIF put together in December to discuss what could be done to stem the tide of population loss in the state. Holton was a member of the focus group, as was former DGIF board chairman Charlie McDaniel.

He and Holton, speaking on behalf of the focus group, recommended that the board enact a Bobwhite Quail Action Plan "encompassing management, research, education, outreach, coordination [with private and public partners], and specifically addressing environmental and other factors limiting quail numbers."

Other citizens, including members of local and regional chapters of Quail Unlimited as well as private landowners and hunters, spoke in support of the measure.

A key provision of the plan would have the DGIF establish official bobwhite quail habitats "to demonstrate the effectiveness of habitat management." Public areas, such as department maintained wildlife management areas, were mentioned as possibilities. So, too, were areas along power transmission lines.

The motion passed unanimously.

The board also heard from Virginia Tech researchers Dr. Steve McMullin and Sara Kozlowski on the findings of the recently completed hound hunting focus-group meetings. The board didn't vote on any issues regarding hound hunting but presented a timeline for action on addressing the concerns of both hunters who hunt with hounds and landowners.

According to McMullin and Kozlowski, there were a few general findings: 1) Virginia is becoming more urban and suburban; 2) New landowners who come in contact with hound hunters don't necessarily understand the culture behind it; 3) the actions of a minority of hound hunters are giving all hound hunters, and hunters in general, a bad reputation.

The next step in the process, McMullin and Kozlowski said, will be to set up a survey on the VDGIF Web site to "further gather information about issues and understand viewpoints of various stakeholder groups." After that, a stakeholder advisory committee will convene to discuss the issues and make recommendations. Once the public and interested parties review those recommendations this summer, the final proposals will be submitted to the board for a vote in October.

The final significant item of business concerned a law passed during the 2007 session of the General Assembly requiring the department to implement a boater-safety education program for all motorboat and personal watercraft operators. According to the law, if implemented by the DGIF on July 1, 2008 as written, all personal watercraft operators must meet specific boating safety education requirements (i.e. must take a class and pass a test). The requirements will be phased in between July of 2009 and July of 2016, depending on the boat operator's age.


Contact Andy Thompson at (804) 649-6579 or outdoors@timesdispatch.com.

[Hokieman]

Ask Yourself This Question. If This Hound Hunting Study Or These Actions Were Taken By The Wildlife Department In Any Other State, Every Sportsmen In America Would Call It Anti-hunting. Dgif Is Pointing To Their 91 Year History Of Support For Sportsman To Say Trust Us! I Say Look At Their Track Record For The Last 4 Year History Of This Board!

Restructuring The Dgif Board Is Key To Preserving Your Hunting Heritage For Future Generations. Call And Ask Your Delegate To Support House Bill 1352 Vote Yes.

[rick64]

Hokieman wrote: Ask Yourself This Question. If This Hound Hunting Study Or These Actions Were Taken By The Wildlife Department In Any Other State, Every Sportsmen In America Would Call It Anti-hunting. Dgif Is Pointing To Their 91 Year History Of Support For Sportsman To Say Trust Us! I Say Look At Their Track Record For The Last 4 Year History Of This Board!

Restructuring The Dgif Board Is Key To Preserving Your Hunting Heritage For Future Generations. Call And Ask Your Delegate To Support House Bill 1352 Vote Yes.
HB 1352 is a bad bill.

Before anyone considers joining the VHDA you should know that one of it's reps told a senate committee that all of it's members were against lifting the ban on Sunday hunting in VA. The VHDA has a track record of spreading false information.

and this is a little info on one of the VDHA board members
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-n.....190519.htm

[Hokieman]

The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance (VHDA) was formed as an umbrella organization, part of the Commonwealth Sportsmen’s Alliance PAC, to give Virginia Sportsmen a political voice within the law. Many groups came together because many of the"old line established or nationally affiliated organizations" simply were more interested in going along to get along. They did not criticize the DGIF Board or staff when it was needed! Now the DGIF Board has undertaken a dangerous course the Hound Study that they say"Will determine the future of hunting in Virginia"! Virginia’s Sportsmen need a strong voice to tell the bureaucrats and politicians not to tread on our rights! They want their Sportsmen’s organization to be bold defenders of their Heritage not elitists that ignore the hunting traditions that are as old as Virginia herself! We had many attacked us, you are not the first nor will you be the last .

[No-Dogs 2009]

Here's a pic of why we need change. Why are dogs still out there chasing deer? Pics taken in the last week. Something need to be done to change this and VDGIF has the right idea by doing the survey on dog chasing.

[Hokieman]

No-Dogs 2009 wrote: Here's a pic of why we need change. Why are dogs still out there chasing deer? Pics taken in the last week. Something need to be done to change this and VDGIF has the right idea by doing the survey on dog chasing.

I don't see any time stamp to support your remark and it looks like it was either 2 or the same trail cam in different locations and different times of the day.

[rick64]

Hokieman wrote: The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance (VHDA) was formed as an umbrella organization, part of the Commonwealth Sportsmen’s Alliance PAC, to give Virginia Sportsmen a political voice within the law. Many groups came together because many of the"old line established or nationally affiliated organizations" simply were more interested in going along to get along. They did not criticize the DGIF Board or staff when it was needed! Now the DGIF Board has undertaken a dangerous course the Hound Study that they say"Will determine the future of hunting in Virginia"! Virginia’s Sportsmen need a strong voice to tell the bureaucrats and politicians not to tread on our rights! They want their Sportsmen’s organization to be bold defenders of their Heritage not elitists that ignore the hunting traditions that are as old as Virginia herself! We had many attacked us, you are not the first nor will you be the last .
I'm not attacking anyone, just stating the fact. If you don't think they are accurate, I'm listening.............

[Hokieman]

rick64 wrote: Hokieman wrote: The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance (VHDA) was formed as an umbrella organization, part of the Commonwealth Sportsmen’s Alliance PAC, to give Virginia Sportsmen a political voice within the law. Many groups came together because many of the"old line established or nationally affiliated organizations" simply were more interested in going along to get along. They did not criticize the DGIF Board or staff when it was needed! Now the DGIF Board has undertaken a dangerous course the Hound Study that they say"Will determine the future of hunting in Virginia"! Virginia’s Sportsmen need a strong voice to tell the bureaucrats and politicians not to tread on our rights! They want their Sportsmen’s organization to be bold defenders of their Heritage not elitists that ignore the hunting traditions that are as old as Virginia herself! We had many attacked us, you are not the first nor will you be the last .
I'm not attacking anyone, just stating the fact. If you don't think they are accurate, I'm listening.............

Rick, let me explain.

Virginia Sportsmen and Sportswomen ask yourself this Question. If This Hound Hunting Study Or These Actions Were Taken By The Wildlife Department In Any Other State, Every Sportsman and Sportswoman In America Would Call It Anti-hunting.

Dgif Is Pointing To Their 91 Year History Of Support For Sportsman To Say Trust Us! I Say Look At Their Track Record For The Last 2 Year History Of This Board! “The people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law. Virginia Constitution, Article XI, section 4”

The DGIF derives all authority from the legislature, which according to Article 1 Section 2 of the Virginia Constitution is derived from the people.

The DGIF Board members, all 11 are currently appointed by the Governor and serve "at his pleasure". Only the Governor sets policy for his administration, Governor Kaine has a record of being aggressively anti-gun and pro animal rights! We need the members of the General Assembly to help defend our Heritage and put the hunters of Virginia trust back into the DGIF! Call your Virginia senator today!!! and ask them to "support house bill 1352 and Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance efforts to de-politize the DGIF Board by restructuring the Board so the six positions are appointed by the General Assembly and are no longer" at will" positions.

"The DGIF Board consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor of VA, with one representative selected from each congressional district in the state. The Board meets approximately six times a year to set regulations and policy for the operation of the Department. Proposed regulations are presented at public meetings so that anyone who has an interest in them is able to voice their opinion. Once the discussion is completed, the Board votes on the regulation and sets a date for when it will take effect if it passed."

It's important that you understand that all hunters in Virginia should do this not just the hound hunters to preserve their way of hunting for the future generations.

Let me explain, House Bill 1352, First of all, if we can succeed in getting six of the eleven members of the DGIF Board appointed by the Legislature... 4 House, 2 Senate and have all members of the Board serve for "good service" as opposed to "at will" they will be better able to resist the pressure from the appointing authority to follow political winds and more likely to follow their conscience. If they are required to hold a Virginia hunting, fishing or trapping license for the three years prior to their appointment you most likely will get a better group of Virginia hunters that will be more likely able to perform their job making important decisions in the department on issues regarding rules and regulation, wildlife management, etc based on prior hunting experience and to follow the voice of the people.

Restructuring The Dgif Board Is the only “Key To Preserving Your Hunting Heritage For Future Generations.” Call And Ask Your Virginia Senator!!! To Support House Bill 1352 Vote Yes.

[rick64]

Hokieman wrote: rick64 wrote: Hokieman wrote: The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance (VHDA) was formed as an umbrella organization, part of the Commonwealth Sportsmen’s Alliance PAC, to give Virginia Sportsmen a political voice within the law. Many groups came together because many of the"old line established or nationally affiliated organizations" simply were more interested in going along to get along. They did not criticize the DGIF Board or staff when it was needed! Now the DGIF Board has undertaken a dangerous course the Hound Study that they say"Will determine the future of hunting in Virginia"! Virginia’s Sportsmen need a strong voice to tell the bureaucrats and politicians not to tread on our rights! They want their Sportsmen’s organization to be bold defenders of their Heritage not elitists that ignore the hunting traditions that are as old as Virginia herself! We had many attacked us, you are not the first nor will you be the last .
I'm not attacking anyone, just stating the fact. If you don't think they are accurate, I'm listening.............

Rick, let me explain.

Virginia Sportsmen and Sportswomen ask yourself this Question. If This Hound Hunting Study Or These Actions Were Taken By The Wildlife Department In Any Other State, Every Sportsman and Sportswoman In America Would Call It Anti-hunting.

Dgif Is Pointing To Their 91 Year History Of Support For Sportsman To Say Trust Us! I Say Look At Their Track Record For The Last 2 Year History Of This Board! “The people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law. Virginia Constitution, Article XI, section 4”

The DGIF derives all authority from the legislature, which according to Article 1 Section 2 of the Virginia Constitution is derived from the people.

The DGIF Board members, all 11 are currently appointed by the Governor and serve "at his pleasure". Only the Governor sets policy for his administration, Governor Kaine has a record of being aggressively anti-gun and pro animal rights! We need the members of the General Assembly to help defend our Heritage and put the hunters of Virginia trust back into the DGIF! Call your Virginia senator today!!! and ask them to "support house bill 1352 and Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance efforts to de-politize the DGIF Board by restructuring the Board so the six positions are appointed by the General Assembly and are no longer" at will" positions.

"The DGIF Board consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor of VA, with one representative selected from each congressional district in the state. The Board meets approximately six times a year to set regulations and policy for the operation of the Department. Proposed regulations are presented at public meetings so that anyone who has an interest in them is able to voice their opinion. Once the discussion is completed, the Board votes on the regulation and sets a date for when it will take effect if it passed."

It's important that you understand that all hunters in Virginia should do this not just the hound hunters to preserve their way of hunting for the future generations.

Let me explain, House Bill 1352, First of all, if we can succeed in getting six of the eleven members of the DGIF Board appointed by the Legislature... 4 House, 2 Senate and have all members of the Board serve for "good service" as opposed to "at will" they will be better able to resist the pressure from the appointing authority to follow political winds and more likely to follow their conscience. If they are required to hold a Virginia hunting, fishing or trapping license for the three years prior to their appointment you most likely will get a better group of Virginia hunters that will be more likely able to perform their job making important decisions in the department on issues regarding rules and regulation, wildlife management, etc based on prior hunting experience and to follow the voice of the people.

Restructuring The Dgif Board Is the only “Key To Preserving Your Hunting Heritage For Future Generations.” Call And Ask Your Virginia Senator!!! To Support House Bill 1352 Vote Yes.

Derrick first off if you want to compare VA to other states, why doesn't VA have Sunday hunting like 43 other states? Most other states don't allow dogs for deer hunting, so they aren't having to deal with the same issues. There's is nothing anti-hunting about the study and I don't see the VHDA offering any alternative to the problems. One could say that the VHDA is anti-hunting for their position on Sunday hunting.

The DGIF has had some well documented problems and those individuals have been dealt with. The smear campaign that you and the VHDA has put on has not helped anyone. With the VHDA's track record on being honest they should be the last to point out others flaws.

HB 1352 is a bad bill

[Hokieman]

rick64 wrote: Hokieman wrote: rick64 wrote: Hokieman wrote: The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance (VHDA) was formed as an umbrella organization, part of the Commonwealth Sportsmen’s Alliance PAC, to give Virginia Sportsmen a political voice within the law. Many groups came together because many of the"old line established or nationally affiliated organizations" simply were more interested in going along to get along. They did not criticize the DGIF Board or staff when it was needed! Now the DGIF Board has undertaken a dangerous course the Hound Study that they say"Will determine the future of hunting in Virginia"! Virginia’s Sportsmen need a strong voice to tell the bureaucrats and politicians not to tread on our rights! They want their Sportsmen’s organization to be bold defenders of their Heritage not elitists that ignore the hunting traditions that are as old as Virginia herself! We had many attacked us, you are not the first nor will you be the last .
I'm not attacking anyone, just stating the fact. If you don't think they are accurate, I'm listening.............

Rick, let me explain.

Virginia Sportsmen and Sportswomen ask yourself this Question. If This Hound Hunting Study Or These Actions Were Taken By The Wildlife Department In Any Other State, Every Sportsman and Sportswoman In America Would Call It Anti-hunting.

Dgif Is Pointing To Their 91 Year History Of Support For Sportsman To Say Trust Us! I Say Look At Their Track Record For The Last 2 Year History Of This Board! “The people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law. Virginia Constitution, Article XI, section 4”

The DGIF derives all authority from the legislature, which according to Article 1 Section 2 of the Virginia Constitution is derived from the people.

The DGIF Board members, all 11 are currently appointed by the Governor and serve "at his pleasure". Only the Governor sets policy for his administration, Governor Kaine has a record of being aggressively anti-gun and pro animal rights! We need the members of the General Assembly to help defend our Heritage and put the hunters of Virginia trust back into the DGIF! Call your Virginia senator today!!! and ask them to "support house bill 1352 and Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance efforts to de-politize the DGIF Board by restructuring the Board so the six positions are appointed by the General Assembly and are no longer" at will" positions.

"The DGIF Board consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor of VA, with one representative selected from each congressional district in the state. The Board meets approximately six times a year to set regulations and policy for the operation of the Department. Proposed regulations are presented at public meetings so that anyone who has an interest in them is able to voice their opinion. Once the discussion is completed, the Board votes on the regulation and sets a date for when it will take effect if it passed."

It's important that you understand that all hunters in Virginia should do this not just the hound hunters to preserve their way of hunting for the future generations.

Let me explain, House Bill 1352, First of all, if we can succeed in getting six of the eleven members of the DGIF Board appointed by the Legislature... 4 House, 2 Senate and have all members of the Board serve for "good service" as opposed to "at will" they will be better able to resist the pressure from the appointing authority to follow political winds and more likely to follow their conscience. If they are required to hold a Virginia hunting, fishing or trapping license for the three years prior to their appointment you most likely will get a better group of Virginia hunters that will be more likely able to perform their job making important decisions in the department on issues regarding rules and regulation, wildlife management, etc based on prior hunting experience and to follow the voice of the people.

Restructuring The Dgif Board Is the only “Key To Preserving Your Hunting Heritage For Future Generations.” Call And Ask Your Virginia Senator!!! To Support House Bill 1352 Vote Yes.

Derrick first off if you want to compare VA to other states, why doesn't VA have Sunday hunting like 43 other states? Most other states don't allow dogs for deer hunting, so they aren't having to deal with the same issues. There's is nothing anti-hunting about the study and I don't see the VHDA offering any alternative to the problems. One could say that the VHDA is anti-hunting for their position on Sunday hunting.

The DGIF has had some well documented problems and those individuals have been dealt with. The smear campaign that you and the VHDA has put on has not helped anyone. With the VHDA's track record on being honest they should be the last to point out others flaws.

HB 1352 is a bad bill


Rick your entilted to your opinion. On that note I think we can agree to disagree. Have a good day.

[rick64]

I'll agree with that.